Igor (stylized inall caps) is the sixth studio album by the American rapper and producerTyler, the Creator, released on May 17, 2019, throughColumbia Records. Produced solely by Tyler himself, the album features guest appearances fromPlayboi Carti,Lil Uzi Vert,Solange,Kanye West, andJerrod Carmichael. Following the release of Tyler's previous albumFlower Boy (2017), the album was primarily recorded in California, with recording sessions also being held inLake Como, Italy, and Atlanta between 2017 and 2019. Described by critics and Tyler himself as an album blendinghip-hop,neo soul,R&B,funk, andpop, critics have also noted the album's use of synthesizers andlo-fi vocals. Thematically,Igor follows a narrative of alove triangle between the titular character and his male love interest. The album employs the "Igor" literary archetype to explore themes associated with love, such as heartbreak, loss, and jealousy.
To help market the album, Tyler, the Creator released the single "Earfquake", which reached number 13 on the USBillboard Hot 100, becoming his highest-charting single at the time. In its first week of release,Igor debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200, moving 165,000album-equivalent units, becoming Tyler, the Creator's first US number-one album. It was a widespread critical success, with critics praising the production and growth on the album, while Tyler's experimentation received mixed reactions; it was named among the best albums of 2019 in many publications' year-end lists, and it wonBest Rap Album at the2020 Grammy Awards, becoming Tyler's first Grammy win.
Work on the album began in 2017, withTyler, the Creator initially writing the song "Earfquake" for Canadian singerJustin Bieber and Barbadian singerRihanna, both of whom turned down the song.[1] The song "I Think" was recorded inLake Como, Italy, with the help of American singerSolange. Tyler wrote "Running Out of Time" during a recording session with American rapperASAP Ferg.[1][2] Tyler produced the beat for "Gone, Gone / Thank You" in 2013 while on tour for his third studio albumWolf, choosing to scrap the song from bothCherry Bomb andFlower Boy as he felt it didn't fit either of those albums.[1]
In an interview withFantastic Man for their Autumn and Winter 2018 issue, Tyler was asked if he had ever been in love, to which he replied: "I don't want to talk about that. Um, that's the next record."[3] In October 2018, Tyler previewed the song "Running Out of Time" for an interview withFast Company.[4]
On April 26, 2019, a supplemental financial report fromSony revealed that a new album from Tyler was expected by the end of June.[5] In early May 2019, Tyler released snippets for the tracks "Igor's Theme" and "What's Good".[6] The album was first announced by Tyler through his social media accounts on May 6, 2019.[7]
Rolling Stone writer Danny Schwartz describedIgor as a "rich and messy mélange ofR&B,funk andrap". The album is synth-heavy, withneo soul melodies and low-mixed vocals.[8][9][10] After winningBest Rap Album at the2020 Grammy Awards, Tyler complained about the Grammys' choice to place him in the Rap andUrban categories, rather than the genericpop category, as being racially motivated and a "backhanded compliment".[11]
The album follows a narrative of alove triangle where Tyler is in love with a man who is already dating another person.[12] American comedianJerrod Carmichael serves as the album's narrator as it progresses, speaking short lines to make sense of Tyler's and thetitle character Igor's state of mind. Carmichael first appears on the album's fourth track "Exactly What You Run from You End Up Chasing".[12] The character Igor is mentioned by name on the tracks "Igor's Theme" and "What's Good"; he follows the Gothic"Igor" archetype as a villain's assistant and represents a darker, apathetic side of Tyler that is revealed. Igor arrives after Tyler pours out all of his heart for his love interest, though his love interest remains focused on his ex-girlfriend. The arrival of Igor serves as a reset for the strong romantic emotions Tyler was entangled in during the album's first half.[12] "Earfquake" is an R&B song which has been described by music critics as either Tyler falling in love or experiencing heartbreak.[13][9][14][15] In "I Think", he starts to question his relationship with his newfound partner and reveals his unhealthy attraction to him: the latter of which is elaborated in "Puppet".[16][17] Tyler declares his love for a former partner and regrets dating someone else in "New Magic Wand";[18][10] he further details his relationship in "A Boy Is a Gun", where he describes his intimate life.[16] "Gone, Gone / Thank You", "I Don't Love You Anymore", and "Are We Still Friends?" go over Tyler's breakup and its aftermath.[19][14]
A music video for the song "Earfquake" was released alongside the album's release on May 17, 2019.[20] It was sent torhythmic contemporary radio on June 4, 2019, as the album'slead single in the United States.[21] On June 3, 2019, Tyler announced his forthcomingtour for the album, which was supported byJaden Smith,Blood Orange, andGoldLink.[22]
A short clip of the album's seventh track, entitled "A Boy is a Gun*", was released on May 13, 2019.[23] The full music video for the song was released on September 16, 2019.[24] On October 24, 2019, a music video was released for the album's third track, "I Think".[25]Apple Music released the video albumApple Music Presents: Tyler, the Creator on August 14, 2019. The video album is a collection of eleven videos recorded from Tyler's first live performance ofIgor, performed in May 2019.[26]
Igor was met with widespread critical acclaim. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received anaverage score of 81, based on 18 reviews.[28] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[27]
Several critics praised Tyler, the Creator's inventive production and artistic growth onIGOR. Roisin O'Connor ofThe Independent called the album Tyler's "best work to date", emphasizing its unconventional structure and intricate production. She described the experience as being led through a maze, which she lent to the album's "twists and turns".[19] Similarly, Andy Kellman ofAllMusic commended the album for its emotional depth, comparing it to a classic soul LP for its expression of "pain, vulnerability, and compulsion",[29] while Danny Schwartz ofRolling Stone appreciated the vulnerability Tyler displayed, explaining that he reveals himself as a "shape-shifting artist who is still growing".[10]
Other critics highlightedIGOR's evolution in Tyler's sound, noting its blend of pop, soul, and hip-hop influences. Daniel Spielberger ofHipHopDX commented on Tyler's more polished style, which, despite moving away from his rapper persona, creates a "hazy pop" album that invites risk-taking.[16] Nick Roseblade fromClash noticed this shift in tone as well, describing how Tyler's previous aggressive style has softened into "slower beats and irresistible soul hooks". He noted that while the change may be jarring initially, the album's progression reveals a "new Tyler" that becomes increasingly captivating.[9] Sam Moore ofNME added thatIGOR is an "accomplished and evergreen record" that deserves undivided attention.[13]
Some reviews, however, offered mixed reactions to Tyler's stylistic experimentation.Sputnikmusic reviewer Rowan5215 feltIGOR wasn't necessarily Tyler's best work, though he acknowledged that Tyler's risk-taking pays off in tracks like "I Think" and "A Boy Is a Gun". The minimalist approach, he argued, suits Tyler well but can feel repetitive in songs such as "Running Out of Time".[31] In a similarly measured review, Dean Van Nguyen ofThe Guardian appreciated the album's ingenuity but felt it lacked the memorable qualities of Tyler's past work, ultimately callingIGOR a "fine showcase of ingenuity" that doesn't always linger in the listener's mind.[8] Nguyen additionally criticized the lack of Tyler's production, rapping, and the "raw, uncompromising humanity" present in his work.[8]
Igor debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200 with 165,000album-equivalent units, of which 74,000 were pure album sales. It was Tyler's first US number-one album.[45] It has been certified two-times platinum in the United States, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland;[46][47][48][49] platinum in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom;[50][51][52][53][54][55][56] and gold in Mexico and Portugal.[57][58] "Earfquake", the only single from the album, peaked at number 13 on theBillboard Hot 100 and remained there for 15 weeks; "Igor's Theme", "I Think", "Puppet", "What's Good, "New Magic Wand", "Running Out of Time", and "A Boy Is a Gun" all stayed for one week on the same charts, peaking at numbers 67, 51, 88, 85, 70, 65, and 74, respectively.[59]
"Exactly What You Run From You End Up Chasing" is added to the end of "Boyfriend" on physical releases.
"A Boy Is a Gun" is stylized as "A Boy Is a Gun*".
Samples
"Igor's Theme" incorporates uncredited elements of "Attention", performed byHead West.
^[a] "I Think" incorporates elements of "Get Down", written and composed by Bodiono Nkono Télesphore, and performed by Nkono Teles; and "Special Lady", written and performed by Bibi Mascel.
"Running Out of Time" contains samples of "Hit It Run", performed byRun-DMC.
"New Magic Wand" incorporates elements of "Vsichni Praznj", written and performed by Siluetes 61.
^[c] "Puppet" incorporates elements of "Today", written by Mick Ware and performed by Czar; and contains excerpts from "It's Alright With Me", written by David Smith and performed byPart Time.
^[d] "Gone, Gone / Thank You" contains excerpts from "Hey Girl", written and performed byCullen Omori; and interpolations from "Fragile", written byAlan O'Day andTatsuro Yamashita, and performed by Yamashita.
^[e] "Are We Still Friends?" contains excerpts from "Dream", written and performed byAl Green.
[29]
